


The Fine Print

by that_gay_mess



Series: A Cry For Help [2]
Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: Abandonment, Anxiety | Virgil Sanders as Paranoia, Brotherly Remus, Sequel, momceit, not to Roman though, somebody help Anxiety please, they need a lawyer
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-10
Updated: 2020-12-24
Packaged: 2021-03-06 06:27:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 6,101
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25828915
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/that_gay_mess/pseuds/that_gay_mess
Summary: After the Light and Dark split, Anxiety begins to learn more about his deal.And that he should have considered the fine print embedded in it.Deceit, like Patton, becomes the "leader" of his part of the Mindscape and quickly uses his full power as such. Anxiety is to do the dirty work: making fun of the Light Sides, interrupting their videos, and generally annoying them. Deceit and Remus get to manipulate Thomas while the Light Sides are preoccupied with Anxiety, thus causing more fury at said Side.Anxiety tries to deal with the lasting effects of Roman's violence towards him and Remus is not the best at comforting. Several times, he accidentally triggers anxiety for Anxiety himself, meaning Deceit has to calm him down. Not that he minds, though. He had become sort of like the mother to both of them, Remus and Virgil more like siblings than Remus and Roman.Then, something changes. Anxiety, that is. Janus manipulates him to become someone else - an action that will permanently affect Virgil. Follow the group as they deal with all this chaos.
Series: A Cry For Help [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1874008
Comments: 31
Kudos: 65





	1. He Should Have Had a Lawyer

**Author's Note:**

> This is the sequel to Beware of Flying Swords (They're Dangerous).
> 
> Updates will probably be slow for a while as I try to wrap up my open stories. Unfortunately, I also have two other stories in the making that have not been posted, so chances are I will also be working periodically on those. My hopes are that it will get an update once a month if not more often.
> 
> !Spoiler Warning! Deceit's canonical name will be used soon.

At first, Anxiety was completely free.

He wasn't held hostage by Roman anymore and he wasn't scaring Logan or Patton. Deceit and Remus were accepting of and kind to Anxiety. 

The group had established a familial set-up. Deceit became the maternal Side, caring for them when sick, calming Anxiety, and picking up Remus's mess. Remus became Anxiety's older brother. He grew protective of the Side and apologized profusely when he started an anxiety attack. As for Anxiety, he adopted the role of the youngest child. He often traveled with Remus to Imagination and watched movies with Deceit.

They loved each other - in a platonic sense - and made sure to help each other. The Side felt completely at ease for the first time since his Creation.

That did not last long, though.

A leader was established amongst the Dark Sides - likely by Patton. Deceit's room was the closest to the exit of the Dark Scape and also the biggest. The snake-esque Side gladly took on the role.

Anxiety and Remus became more like servants than family. 

When instructed to do so, Anxiety would walk over to the Light Scape and cause a ruckus. He would tease Roman, argue with Logan, and berate Patton. As was his luck, Roman often pulled his sword on Anxiety, triggering a panic that the Side hadn't felt in months. For some reason the Side could not deduce, both Logan and Patton scolded Roman until he no longer drew his sword.

While Anxiety was doing that, Remus was sent to the real world with Thomas to give him some food for thought. Namely, deodorant. The Side usually tried to get him to eat deodorant while sharing his less-than-pleasant thoughts. After a bit, Remus was no longer allowed to physically visit the host.

"You're _not_ too disturbing, Remus. I _definitely don't_ think it's best if we don't interact with Thomas anymore."

Truth be told, Anxiety felt safer in the Dark Scape than he did with the others, even as they changed. Sure, Deceit was a bit manipulative. Yeah, Remus sometimes triggered an anxiety attack, but he was still safe here.

Right?


	2. How Much Difference Is There, Really?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm about to get swamped. Between suddenly being a homeschool kid, - thanks COVID - taking my first college class, and trying a new language, I'm sure to have a lot of school work. 
> 
> That said, I'm going to try to dump a bunch of chapters on all my open stories this week. We're starting off with this one!

As months turned into years, Anxiety noticed more changes in the attitudes of Remus and Janus. For starters, the former often brought out his weapon on the anxious Side. He knew it was terrifying for him every time. He knew Anxiety got flashbacks that triggered anxiety attacks.

He didn't seem to care, though.

Janus, on the other hand, interacted less with Anxiety. The times he did, it was either to give him an order for the day, for a meal, or for a meeting. 

At the first of such meetings, Janus demanded to know Anxiety's real name. That night, Virgil swore he heard the two others talking about him.

A week later, Janus forced Virgil into becoming Paranoia. "It _definitely won't_ hurt Thomas, but it _won't_ annoy the h*ll out of the others." The Side realized that if he didn't comply with Janus's order, the snake would make him become Paranoia in a much more painful way. He sighed and focused on more paranoid thoughts and actions.

A minute later, Virgil was replaced by a figure with a set of spider legs sticking out of his back and two more eyes on his forehead - covered by bangs. "Welcome, Paranoia. Are you _not_ prepared for your first mission?" The boy glanced from side to side, seemingly looking for a threat.

"Who are you? And what are you going to do to me? What are you going to make me do?" Janus rested three arms on either of Paranoia's human arms. "My name is Janus. I represent Thomas's capacity for Deceit. I'm not going to do anything except take care of you - and Thomas, I suppose." He was met with a confused stare from the spider-esque Side.

Deceit sighed wearily. "Thomas is our host. Each of us represents a different aspect of Thomas's personality. Patton, my brother, is a 'Light' Side and is Thomas's morality. Logan, also a 'Light Side', is Thomas's logic. Roman is Remus's twin and the 'good' aspect of Creativity. I am Deceit, a 'Dark' Side, and Remus is 'bad' Creativity. You are Paranoia, another 'Dark' Side. It is your job to keep Thomas alert and increase his levels of paranoia. He has gotten too relaxed as of late. Do you know what your name is?"

The Side took in the information, then processed the question. "Phobos. I think it's Greek?" Janus smiled softly. "It's _not_ nice to meet you, Phobos. Now, on to your mission. Today, I need you to go distract the 'Light' Sides, maybe make them paranoid. If you do it right, Thomas will feel the effect, too. While you do that, Remus and I will interact with Thomas in our own way."

Phobos thought for a moment. "This won't hurt Thomas, right?" Janus shook his head. "It'll annoy him to death, but he won't get hurt." "To DEATH?!" Janus took a step back. 

_Alright, wording is an issue with him._ The Side backtracked. "I'm sorry, Paranoia. Nobody is going to die, it's simply a figure of speech. Remus and I are going to annoy Thomas a great deal, is what I meant."

"Oh, okay. How do I get to them?" Deceit smiled. Paranoia was much more compliant than Anxiety. "Do you see that door over there?" He pointed a few feet away from his bedroom door. Paranoia nodded.

"You walk out of that, think of something... cheerful..." The two Sides gagged. "Then you should rise up in their area. Make sense?" Paranoia nodded again and walked towards the door.

"I guess I'll see you and Remus back here when I'm done?" Janus smiled. "That _isn't_ correct. Now, in order to not raise suspicion as a new Side, you should not address them as their proper names. Only as Morality, Logic, and Creativity. Understood?"

Paranoia nodded, a tight smile on his face. "Good. I _won't_ see you back here soon."

Phobos trod over to the door, cast a look back at the snake Side, then left the Dark Scape. After a bit of panicked thinking, he imagined a puppy bouncing around and began to sink.

He popped up in a room similar to the one he'd just left, save for a few key differences. For starters, everything was more brightly colored. There was a wall of light blue, throw pillows of navy, and blankets of royal red. Items all around the room were covered in rainbows and pride flags of all sorts.

The next difference was the layout. There were two floors instead of one, like the Dark Scape. Where they only had a kitchen, living room, bathrooms, and bedrooms, the Light Scape had more. Phobos guessed that the bedrooms and bathrooms were all on the upstairs level. On the first, where he sat on the stairs, was the living room and kitchen. In addition, there was a doorway across from the oven. On the door was a sign that read "Control Room". He assumed that's where Remus and Janus were trying to get to.

The third and final difference was the Sides in the Scape. On the couch sat two figures, both staring at him. One wore a light blue polo, khakis, and a grey cardigan. Based on his confused yet happy gaze, Phobos figured he was Patton - Morality, he scolded himself. Next to him was a perfectly-poised Side with a light blue tie. That was Logic.

_Isn't there three of them, though?_

He flinched as cold metal was pressed against his Adam's apple. This was familiar. Why was it familiar? He hadn't been here before. "Don't move, unknown villainous Side." The voice sounded threatening, like he wouldn't hesitate to kill him.

_Ah, this must be Creativity. But didn't Janus say he was supposed to be the 'good' Creativity? Why is he threatening me? That's not heroic or good._

"Villain? I don't see a villain. Dear Prince, you must need glasses." The Side scoffed and lowered his sword. "I don't need glasses, for I'm not a nerd like those two!" He gestured to his friends. The one with the tie rolled his eyes. Paranoia turned to look at Creativity. He wore a white shirt, black pants, a red sash, and donned a small crown on his head.

"You sound familiar. Have we met before?" Necktie spoke, his voice clearly suggesting he thought Prince was stupid. "We have the same voice, Roman. That is completely ridiculous." Creativity laughed. "We sound different, Logan. Doesn't he sound like Anxiety?"

_That name is familiar, too. This banter... it seems normal. Like I should recognize this._

"While your point is preposterous, it does seem to have some validity. This Side does appear to be familiar. What do you think, Patton?" The Side that looked to be both 15 and their actual age of 20 stood up and paced over to Phobos. "He seems familiar to me," Patton - no, Morality - said.

"Do you remember me, kiddo?" That took Paranoia by surprise. "Pardon? We're the same age." Morality sighed. "Well, that failed. He doesn't know us, but I feel like we know you." Logic walked up and began theorizing with the other two. Meanwhile, out of the corner of his eye, Paranoia watched as Janus and Remus snuck into the Control Room.

"-llo? Hello, new Side?" Creativity waved his hand in front of Paranoia's face. "You good there? You spaced out." "It's 'Are you feeling well', Roman," Logic corrected. "Yeah, whatever. Anyway, who are you?" 

Paranoia began to work overtime, hoping he'd affect the others. He wasn't sure why he wanted that, but he knew he did. 

"Why do I have to tell you? Who's to say you won't use it against me? Do you trust each other? Do you have good reason to? Who knows, one of you might betray the others. They might be plotting betrayal right now." Morality was the most affected, resorting to panicking and questioning his friends.

"Relax, Pops. None of us are going to betray the others. We're a family, remember?" _**(Sorry, famILY.)**_

"Yeah. Yeah, you're right, Roman. I'm sorry for freaking out." "It's alright, Pat." Logic stared intensely at Phobos, studying every inch of his being. "What is it, Lo?"

He turned to look at the other two 'Light' Sides. "The way he affected you and tried to play into fears, I'd think this Side represents Paranoia. However, you are right, Patton. He does appear to be familiar, somehow. Tell me, am I correct?" After considering his answer, Phobos nodded.

"Terrific. Now, based on how your bangs are combed over your forehead and the bulge in the back of your jacket, I am to assume you have an animal trait like Deceit and Remus. Is that also correct?" Phobos nodded again. "Interesting. He is a 'Dark' Side, as you call them Roman." 

"Great! Another one of those creepy cookies!" Morality lightly hit Creativity's arm. "Roman, I'm ashamed of you! They may be scary, but they are not creepy cookies! Besides, cookies can't be creepy. They're cookies!" "Settle down, you two. Paranoia, do you know Anxiety?"

He thought about that. _Anxiety? I feel like I should. Maybe Janus mentioned him? No, just Remus._ "I have no idea who you're talking about." Logic hummed, calculating his next question. "What are the chances he used to be Anxiety and is now Paranoia?" The query was directed at Morality and Creativity.

"How should I know? You're Logic!" Creativity shot at the Side. In response, Logic rolled his eyes again.

"Well, Paranoia? Do you have any memories from, say, a few days ago?" Without hardly thinking, Phobos shook his head. "Only from a few hours ago."

_What are they going to do? Are they going to hurt me? Are they going to hurt this 'Anxiety' dude? Why are they asking so many questions? Am I in danger? Janus wouldn't have sent me if I was going to get hurt, right?_

"Very well. Will we see you around, Paranoia?" The Side shrugged. "I don't exactly seem to be wanted, so..." He stared at Creativity.

The Side's hands flailed for a minute, his sword long gone. "I-I'm sorry. I suppose seeing you reminded me of how I used to greet Anxiety. Though he tended to deserve it, you did not." "Roman Creativity Sanders! That is enough!" "I'm sorry, Padre, but it's true."

Morality scolded Creativity. "Roman! He didn't deserve how any of us treated him, and you know it." The Princely Side hung his head. "I know, I know." 

Paranoia stood up. "Well, this has been great and all, but I think I'm gonna go." With that, Phobos sunk out of the Light Scape and into the Dark Scape.

"Job well done, Phobos." "WOW! THAT WAS SO GOOD, DUDE!" The Side cringed at the loud noise but smiled nonetheless.

"Thank you."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Expect an update in the next day or two.


	3. Karma's a Butt

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, I'm not allowed to curse but I think we all know what the title would be if I could.
> 
> I also wrote this late at night, so hopefully, it's easy to understand and not completely atrocious.

TW: Remus's violent jokes. What did you expect from him?

The three celebrated their most recent mission with a family dinner.

Janus cooked spaghetti. Remus had been banned from the kitchen, - or so Phobos heard after fifteen minutes of complaining - so it was up to Paranoia to make the garlic bread. Unfortunately, he was also a terrible cook and got banned.

Finally, twenty minutes later, the three sat down at the table. Each plate had a healthy helping of the pasta and two slices of bread. 

"So, Phobos. What did you think about your mission?" The Side thought on his answer as he ate. "It was kind of exciting, in a way. I enjoyed messing with the others, but I was also kinda nervous."

"Why's that? They're not gonna kill you or anything!" Remus jumped in his seat. Whether it be from energy or just Remus being himself, Phobos didn't know. 

"I dunno, they just kinda scare me. I don't know them, and Roman put a sword to my throat. Not exactly pleasant." The Duke growled angrily, making Phobos flinch. "I'll behead him! No, stab him! Or maybe I'll cut off his fingers and toes, then his arms and legs! Or-" "Remus!" "What?"

Janus gestures to Paranoia, who was shaking in fear. "Oh." The Duke reached out to the grey-cloaked Side gently. Before he could grab his hand, though, Phobos violently flinched and tipped his chair backward. "Oh, shi- oof." 

The snake glared at a laughing Remus and leaned out of his chair to help the Side up. "Sorry about that, P, I didn't mean to- oh God!" The Duke couldn't finish his sentence, cutting himself off with more laughter. "I didn't mean to scare you it's just- hold on, lemme- lemme catch my breath."

A minute later, the three sat at the table once more, Remus more serious than before. "I didn't mean to scare you, Pho, I swear. I just- gosh, Roman makes me so mad sometimes." 

Phobos let out a sigh, moving his bangs to show his second pair of eyes. "It's alright, Remus, I- hold up. Did you just call me Pho? As in a kind of soup?" 

The green Side cursed loudly. "I was hoping you wouldn't figure it out! Now I have to figure out a different weird nickname for you!" He pouted, to which Paranoia chuckled.

"What about Phobe? As in to be fearful?" Remus smiled. "Not weird, but I still like it! That's strange..." 

Janus smiled. "I'm glad you two worked that out. Now, will you please eat your food before it gets cold?"

* * *

Roman, Logan, and Patton were talking from their seats on the couch in the Light Scape. Their topic of discussion?

Paranoia. 

"I don't know, you guys, but shouldn't we have known if there was a new Side? Even if he's a 'Dark' Side, surely we would have been notified."

Logan thought about Patton's statement. "He is the first Side that has been created since the split, so perhaps it is a side effect."

Roman cleared his throat. "I still think something about him seemed familiar. He could be Anxiety!" Patton hummed in agreement. "I think so, too, Ro, but wouldn't he remember?"

Creativity laughed. "Who says he wasn't lying to us?" Patton began to say something but Logan cut in. "Again, this is all new information. If he was Anxiety at one point, there's no knowing whether those memories lasted. What other evidence do you have to Paranoia possibly being Anxiety?"

"He's the same height as Anxiety and he even sounds like him!" Logic pinched the bridge of his nose. "How many times do I have to remind you? We are a part of the same person, we cannot be different heights nor sound differently!"

Roman threw his hands in the air. "Have you not noticed a difference, Specs? You're taller than me and Patton! And we do sound a little different." 

"That was atrocious grammar, Roman," Logan muttered. "I don't really care right now, you know I'm right. He seems exactly like Anxiety, other than the fact that he's Paranoia!"

Silence.

"...I hate to admit it, but I suppose you do have a point. Perhaps Paranoia is Anxiety."

"Was. I don't think Anxiety is a conscious part of Thomas anymore - or at all." Patton whimpered. "Not at all?" Roman shook his head. 

"There's also his reaction to my sword. That was the same!" "Roman, you do realize any sensible person would have that attitude towards a sword against their throat, correct?" The Prince sighed. "Yeah, I guess."

Patton jumped off the couch and clapped his hands together. "Oh!" "What is it, Patton?"

The fatherly Side turned to face his friends, a broad smile on his face. "His jacket was the same as Anxiety's! That has to be proof that they're the same Side!"

Logan nodded thoughtfully. "That is also a valid point. I believe you may both be correct in saying Anxiety and Paranoia are the same. However, that leaves one question."

"What's that, L?" Logic met his friend's eyes, surprisingly somber yet still curious.

"Does he actually remember us?" 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This came a little later than I intended, and much shorter, but here's the next installment. 
> 
> I really will try to make the next chapter longer (-_-;).


	4. How Quickly a Tide Can Turn

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a pretty short chapter, sorry.

Over the next week, Phobos had spent a considerable amount of time with the others.

Most of it was because Janus had been pushing their effect on Thomas, which meant Paranoia had to be with the 'Light' Sides. Logan and Patton had seemed to warm up to him, even offering a nickname here and there. Roman was still cautious, but he was making headway.

Phobos had become so comfortable with the group that he wasn't even using his fear tactic, he was just providing an accidental distraction through casual conversation.

"So, P, you live with my brother?" Roman asked. Phobos nodded. Unbeknownst to him, Remus had stopped to listen in the doorway to the Control Room. "What's that like? How often are you cleaning blood off of walls?"

Paranoia chuckled quietly and shook his head. "Remus is... eccentric. His humor is gruesome, sure, but he's funny. He sometimes triggers a panic attack for me, but he doesn't mean to, I don't think. He can be really caring when he wants to be. As for the blood question... once a week, maybe. We made it into a game though; whoever gets the most blood off the walls the fastest gets to cuddle with De and his human half which is, surprisingly, super warm."

Patton squealed softly at the soft smile on Phobos's face. "That's really cool, kiddo!" The boy shrugged in return. "I dunno if I'd say cool..." Remus's broad smile and flushed face faded into a frown and heartbroken expression. "The two are a lot to deal with, sometimes. Don't get me wrong, they're my family, but they're a bit much."

Roman gave Phobos a curious look. Meanwhile, from his hidden spot, Remus cursed Phobos and sunk out, leaving Janus alone in the Control Room.

"Remus!" Janus hissed in a low voice. "Remus, get back here!" He moved to walk to where his friend had been but stopped when Patton spoke up.

"What about _my_ brother? What is it like living with him?" Phobos sighed. "Janus is like a motherly version of you. He takes care of us and helps us to the best of his abilities. He's often the one who calms me down from a panic attack. However..." 

Janus's heart sunk. "He can be kind of manipulative. I don't know if he means to be, but he definitely is. I think it's partially because of his status as 'leader' of the Dark Scape, but he sometimes makes us do things we don't want to. He guilt-trips us into things. It sucks, to be honest, but I mean he may not know he's doing it, so he can't be at fault, right?"

The half-snake waited for Patton's response, praying he'd defend his brother. It never came.

"A manipulator almost _always_ knows that they're manipulating someone, Phobos. I highly doubt a Side literally built around deceit would unconsciously control someone." "Yeah. Yeah, you're right." 

With tears in his eyes, Janus sunk back to the Dark Scape. "Remus, I think we need to teach all of them a lesson about bad-mouthing our family." Even as he cried, Remus jumped up excitedly. "What if we turn them against each other?"

The deceitful Side shook his head with a cruel smile. "I'll do you one better. We turn them against Phobos."

Creativity clapped his hands joyfully. "He'll regret saying what he did!" Janus nodded. "Indeed, he will."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *flops into author's notes* Hi, I'm not dead. Unfortunately for me, school is much harder than I thought it was going to be this year. I'm also struggling with some personal issues and, therefore, updates will be slower than I had planned.
> 
> Originally, I wanted to post once every two weeks or so. Clearly, that has not happened. So, for the foreseeable future, updates will be slowed to around once a month - hopefully, I can stick to that.


	5. Revenge: A Two Player Game

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Content warning (I guess?): paranoia - of course, it's a Paranoia fic.
> 
> Trigger warning: grotesque threats.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Has it been two months already? Whoops. 
> 
> I genuinely meant to update this last month. Obviously, though, I did not get around to it. I've been increasingly busy with ✨everything✨ and flirting with procrastination. (Someone get the FWSA reference, I beg of you.)
> 
> Anyway, here's another chapter before I disappear for another month.

Phobos finally rose up in the Dark Scape. "Janus? Remus? Where are you guys?"

There was no answer. 

He began to look around the small area. _Surely, they're here somewhere._

He popped his head into Remus's room. There wasn't a single Side there. He knocked on Janus's closed door.

Just inside, he heard voices whispering. "Janus? Remus? Is that you in there?"

_They're plotting to kill you. They're plotting something. They're out to get you. You have to leave. You have to get out. Get out. **Get out. Get out. Get out. Get-**_

"Phobos?" Paranoia looked around. Where was he? He wasn't here a second ago.

"Phobos, are you alright?" He finally focused on Logan. Oh. He had risen up into the Light Scape.

"I-" How did he answer? He knew he wasn't, but could he stand to be vulnerable with them? Was that safe? What if they tried to use that against him?

He turned his head a little more and froze at what he began to register.

Pressed against his neck, in a chillingly similar fashion, was a steel sword. "What's going on?"

"What are those?" Roman hissed at Phobos, a mix of fear and anger in his voice. 

"What are what?" He saw Patton hiding behind Roman, shaking fearfully. "Patton?"

Morality slowly pointed at something just past Paranoia.

_What's going on? I thought they trusted me. Did I do something?_ Phobos looked over his shoulder to find his six spider legs shooting out in every direction. His fangs had been bared and, somehow, his bangs had been pushed out of his face to reveal two more eyes. 

He looked at his arms to find that his jacket was missing. _What the h*ll?_

"Are you trying to threaten us, Paranoia?" 

The Side glanced up to meet Logan's eyes. "N-no, of course not. I-I can't retract them and I don't know where my jacket is because I use it to hide all this and oh my God are you gonna kill me? You're gonna kill me now, aren't you? Oh my God oh my-"

"Kiddo, calm down, we're not-"

"Don't make promises, Patton. He _is_ one of them. He's a spider. You hate spiders. Maybe we should. It would put all of us out of our misery."

"Roman-"

Phobos scoffed. "I think Patton and I are the only ones in misery here. You don't seem miserable to me - you seem angry."

_Oh my God, why did I say that? Now he really_ is _gonna kill me. Oh my God. Oh my God. Oh my God._

"You really think this is just about you? You remind me so much of my brother, it honestly disgusts me a little. One of him is enough. I don't need you running around here, too."

"Roman, that's enough. You aren't being rational."

"Oh, really Logan? I'm not being rational? Maybe you're being too generous! He's a dark side!"

Patton quietly intervened. "Roman, kiddo, we talked about this..."

"Patton, he's scaring all of us just like Anxiety did. He came here to threaten us. He needs to be put in his place!"

The three began to bicker amongst themselves.

_Get out. Danger. Danger. Danger. GET OUT. GET OUT NOW. DANGER. YOU'RE IN DANGER._

"Phobos, wait-"

Without knowing it, he sunk out. Phobos rose up to find a smirking Remus holding his grey jacket.

"Hey!" 

Creativity tossed it at him, smile dropping. "I'm gonna tell you this once, so listen closely. Get out of here right now. Get out and never come back. If you do, I will slowly tear you, limb from limb. I will use your skin as a canvas and paint it in your blood. Your face will be the centerpiece. I will gut you and use your organs as decorations around the Scape. The Light Sides will be so thrilled you're dead that they won't care what I do with your remains. Got that?"

Phobos nodded and raced to his room. He prepared to create a new Scape but stopped in his doorway. "What did I do?"

Remus squinted at him. "You betrayed your family." The Side shoved Paranoia into his respective room, closed the door, and skipped away.

* * *

Phobos collapsed onto the ground of this newest, much smaller, part of the MindScape. It was a neutral zone. A gray area. Someplace he'd be safe from any Side for the rest of his life.

He burst into tears. _What did I say? What did I do to betray them? Why can't I be normal like Patton and Roman and Logan? Why couldn't I be loyal to Janus and Remus? What is wrong with me?_

Before he drifted off into a fitful sleep, Paranoia had one final thought. _Nobody will never accept me._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You saw a grammar mistake? No, you didn't. It's too early for me to be bothered with fixing it.
> 
> Anyway, this is not how I originally planned for this to go but it's how it is now.


	6. The Butterfly Effect

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This extra little chapter is to make up for the lack of posting from before and in the future. It's short.

"Roman, what the heck was that? Phobos didn't deserve that and you know it!"

The prince sighed and guiltily looked at Patton. "I know, Pops. I know, it's just.. he reminded me so much of Anxiety."

"And he didn't deserve it either!"

"Patton, surely-"

"No, Roman. I do mean that. Are they a little scary? Sure, maybe! But they're a part of Thomas too. They aren't as bad as you might think they are, and you should have given them a chance. We don't know where Anxiety is, anymore, but we can still try to make it up to Paranoia."

The MindScape rumbled for a second, sending the pair tumbling to the floor.

"Ah. So a Side moved."

Patton and Roman shot a confused glance at Logan. "What do you mean by that?"

"Exactly what I said. A Side shifted to a different Scape. We know it's only us three over here, but we don't know how many Sides are with Janus. Chances are, it's one of them. Let's go find him."

The 'Light Sides' stood and walked to the area where new rooms were to pop up. Logan was the first to realize that there was no new Side.

"That's odd. I know that shift was to signify the shifting of a Side, so why is it only us three?"

Roman shrugged. "Maybe Thomas did something."

"Unlikely. As far as we know, he cannot contact us or change the MindScape."

Patton grimaced. "What if it was a new 'Dark Side'?"

Logan returned the facial expression. "I suppose that's a possibility as well. Perhaps we should go find out."

"I don't want to see Remus. You know how he'll be."

Both Patton and Logan glared at Roman.

"Alright, alright, I'm coming. Sheesh."

The trio sunk out, Roman pouting the whole way. A moment later, they rose back up outside the Dark Scape. They walked in, only to be attacked by a throwing star. Logan caught it in one hand, simply looking unimpressed. 

"That was a lackluster attempt at an assault, Remus."

The duke laughed. "Sure, Nerdy Wolverine. Sure. What can I do for you goody two-shoeses?"

Roman shuddered. "We just need to know if there's a new Side here."

Remus's joyful mood changed to that of disdain upon hearing Roman. "Why should I tell you anything?"

Logan sighed and stepped between the two. "Will you please just tell us?"

Remus returned to an odd smile and shrugged. "Just me and Janny. Oh, and the orange dude who won't tell us what he's supposed to be. He's been around for a while, though. Nobody new here."

Patton finally spoke up, peeking around Roman's shoulder. "What about Phobos and Anxiety?"

A hesitant voice from behind Patton asked, "What's it to you?"

Patton jumped and spun to face his brother. "Jan, we're worried about them. Phobos-"

Janus interrupted him with a hiss.

"...stormed out earlier. We've been worried about him. Oh, and we haven't seen Anxiety. We were just wanting to check in on them."

The two 'Dark Sides' laughed in unison.

"Why would you care about them?" Remus questioned.

"Because it's the right thing to do. Because we're concerned about them," Patton responded.

"Why /wouldn't/ you want to know who's here and who's not?"

"We were simply wondering why the MindScape shifted. Now, do you know where Phobos and Anxiety are or not?"

"Not," Remus replied. Roman growled at his brother.

"Careful, Roman. Being feral is my thing." The prince backed away, not wanting to associate with Remus anymore.

Logan, noticing how tense the other two were, nodded in resignation. "Thank you. We'll be leaving now."

Janus slid out of their path and allowed them to leave. "Oh, before you go..."

The three looked back at him.

"I /would/ waste my time searching for Phobos and Anxiety. I /don't/ doubt we'll be seeing much of them for a long time."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Every autocorrect out there hates me simply for "shoeses".
> 
> What I think I'm going to do from here on out is go between Phobos, Remus and Janus, and the 'Light Side' trio. The timeline will become a little more spread out over the chapters until somewhere around Accepting Anxiety.
> 
> If you have suggestions, I'm open to hearing them. Otherwise,
> 
> Stay safe and wear your mask.


	7. A Familiar Face

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So sorry it's been a month! I just finished my classes for the year, and I will only be taking three - four? - book classes. Since I'm homeschooled this year, my schedule will be more flexible, so I should be able to update more frequently than I have been. (Sorry I haven't been able to keep that promise.)
> 
> Anyway, here's the next chapter!
> 
> Sorry it's so short.

A year had passed since Paranoia had been ostracized from both the 'Light' and 'Dark' Scapes. It had been a year since Phobos had been forced to create the 'Neutral' Scape.

Thomas was now 27 and had just posted a new video. He had titled it "My True Identity".

Phobos was, honestly, a little disgusted by how quickly Thomas had decided to post it. Had he not had any effect on his host at all?

_This won't do. I'm still here; I'm still a part of Thomas. Why can't I affect him anymore? Am I too weak? Has being ostracized from the others weakened my hold on Thomas? What am I supposed to do?_

Out of nowhere, a pink light blinded Phobos. 

"What in the world?!" He dropped his hands from his eyes to stare at the new Side. "Who are you?"

The man looked around, unsure himself. "Well, this can't be right. I'm not a Side of Thomas's. He hasn't even recorded a video with me, yet."

Phobos backed up to the opposite wall, trying to appear intimidating. "I'll ask again. **Who are you?** " His voice became threatening. 

_What on Earth?_

"You must be Anxiety! The others are so worried about you!" The non-Side rushed forward, only to be stopped by Phobos's spider legs.

"TELL ME WHO YOU ARE!" He bellowed.

"Oh. Sorry about that." The other man smiled apologetically. "My name is Emile Picani! I'm a therapist. Do you how do?"

Phobos stared skeptically at Emile. "What?"

Emile giggled innocently and sat on the floor. "How do you do? I'm assuming I was summoned from Imagination for a reason."

After a hesitant moment, Phobos also sat. "I, uh... I don't know how to summon, so it couldn't have been me."

Picani looked around. "Well, there's nobody else here, so I would assume it was you. You can summon me unconsciously since I'm not actually a Side of Thomas's. So: why am I here?"

Paranoia sighed. "I don't know... Thomas posted a new video the other day, and it did really well, but I was trying to tell him not to post it so quickly. I don't know why, but he didn't listen to me at all. It's- it's like I had no effect on him whatsoever. It was scary."

Emile nodded thoughtfully. "Well, you're more of a core Side, and probably need to be closer to Thomas's other Sides than you are now. Being apart from the others for a year has probably weakened your connection with them, thereby weakening your connection to Thomas and his brain processes. If you want to fix that, I'd recommend going to stay with Patton, Logan, and Roman."

Phobos jolted to his feet. "What?! Are you insane?! They'd kill me!"

Emile shook his head calmly. "I'm not so sure. Patton and Logan have recently realized how necessary you were and have been looking for you. Roman is still hesitant to agree, but he has noticed changes in Thomas since you disappeared. Both of you, that is."

Phobos laughed dryly. "Both of me? Sorry, Emile, but I think you've got that wrong. I'm the only one here." He slowly returned to his criss-cross position.

The therapist poked his pen at Phobos's heart, lightly tapping the shirt. "Yes, and no. There's something of a fusion inside of you - you know what that is, right?"

Phobos nodded. "Yeah?"

Emile smiled. "Good! Anyway, you are Paranoia, but you're also Anxiety. At least, you used to be. Anxiety was forced into hiding years ago, by Deceit. You remember him?"

Phobos nodded again, shuddering this time. 

Emile continued, taking note of the reaction. "Anxiety is hiding away in there. You are both Paranoia and Anxiety, but you cannot be both at the same time, nor can they both exist at once. In order for one to show face, the other must be hidden away."

Phobos choked on his breath. "So you're saying there's another being inside of me?"

Emile tapped his pen to his mouth, concentrating on the question. "I don't think that's exactly how it is. Consider it more like a matryoshka doll. One of you, either Paranoia or Anxiety, is the biggest doll. Trapped inside is the other. If you dismantle the first and push them to the side, you now see the other."

Phobos looked confused. "That's... exactly what I said."

Emile sighed. "Alrighty... there's not a literal Side trapped inside your skin. Maybe it's more like having two personalities; one of them, you show around your friends and family, and the other is your true personality that nobody sees. Nobody except those you trust the most. Anxiety is that hidden part of you. He was forced away years ago because someone didn't like who he was. Instead, you were forced to create this other version of you that you had to show to everybody. Does that make more sense?"

Phobos thought on the explanation. "I think so. What are you getting at, though?"

The smile returned to Emile's face. "Well, Paranoia - or Phobos, as you go by - is not the original Side that was created in Thomas's mindscape. Anxiety was that Side. When you were forced to become Paranoia, the balance in the mindscape was shifted. Anxiety is who Thomas needs - the real you, not this version you were made to be."

That unnerved the Side. _Is he saying I'm unnecessary?_

"No, that's not what I'm saying."

"What? Did you just read my mind or something?"

Emile giggled. "Nope. You speak your mind a bit. I'm not saying that Paranoia is unnecessary. What I am saying is that Anxiety is the one that Thomas created to protect himself. Paranoia may need to surface, now and again, but Anxiety is the one Thomas needs to survive."

Phobos sighed. "So how am I supposed to 'return' to being Anxiety?"

Emile chewed on his lip. "For now, let's move you closer to the Core Sides." He snapped his fingers and they shifted.

"Woah," Paranoia muttered as he stumbled. 

"Sorry. Probably should've given you a heads up. But now that you're closer to where you're _supposed_ to be, you should revert to your old self."

Sure enough, the edges of Paranoia were slipping away, and Anxiety was reappearing. "Thank you," Phobos smiled.

"Anytime." With a nod of his head, Emile Picani returned to Imagination.

Alone in his room again, Anxiety looked in the mirror. Gone were his spider legs, fangs, and extra eyes. Smudged from the last time he'd worn makeup was his signature black eyeshadow.

"Now just to hope that I'm not back with-"

"LOGAN, THERE'S A NEW SIDE!!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I find the title funny because they all have the same face. Sorta.
> 
> Have a safe holiday season everyone!


End file.
